By Ethan Covey
During 2008-2022, cervical precancer incidence decreased by 79% and higher grade precancer incidence dropped by 80% among screened women between 20 and 24 years of age, the age group most likely to have been vaccinated with the HPV vaccine.
The HPV vaccine was first recommended in the United States in 2006 by the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to prevent cancers and other diseases caused by HPV (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2025;74[6]:96-101).
“People should consult with their healthcare providers to understand the options regarding HPV vaccination,” said Julia W. Gargano, PhD, an epidemiologist with the CDC’s Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
The CDC report focused on data from the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Impact Monitoring Project (HPV-IMPACT), which consists of five sites throughout the United States.
From 2008 through 2022, 39,977 (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia [CIN] grades 2-3 and adenocarcinoma in situ, collectively CIN2+) cases were reported, 32.6% of which were CIN3+. For women 20 to 24 years of age, the incidence of CIN2+ cases per 100,000 decreased by a rate of 11% annually.
Trends for CIN3+ were generally similar to those for CIN2+, with incidence during 2022 80.3% lower than 2008.
The findings reinforce the importance of HPV vaccination, the epidemiologists said.
“Cervical cancer is still the most common cancer caused by human papillomavirus among women, with about 10,800 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. annually,” Dr. Gargano said. “Since 2008, surveillance data collected through the HPV-IMPACT has been used to describe trends in incidence rates of precancerous cervical lesions among women screened for cervical cancer.”
Dr. Gargano reported no relevant financial disclosures.